The post-Trump fascist creep catch-all thread - Page 25

Norman Alexander · 19th January 2023, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

As long as Kevin keeps dancing to the extremists' tune, they'll be happy. The rest of the GOP House members will do as they're told. Like good Republicans do.

In my scenario, Kev can dance the fandango nude with a banana skirt to amuse the MAGots, because it won't matter a whit. He gets no say in getting launched or not once the process is initiated.

The Don · 19th January 2023, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

The Dems have the whip hand, and there are far more of them than The Base. The concessions Kev made mean the Dems can put him in the catapult too. The Rules are not limited to The Base.

And if the Dems do that, it only takes one or two rogue non-Base to vote with them have a majority to launch him, pick a new speaker of their choice, AND change the Rules to stop a reverse. Then they can quite possibly get the numpties off committees.

It's a nice fantasy, but it's just that - a fantasy.

If the Democrats bring forward a vote then, as usual, the Republicans will meekly fall in line and vote in favour of McCarthy so as to hand the Democrats a loss.

In the unlikely event that they do succeed in deposing McCarthy then there's no chance of a Democrat becoming speaker because a GOP voting for a Democrat will be primaried at the next elections in less than two years.

Challenging the speaker works for the GOP because they're not interested in governing, just in stopping the Democrats from doing anything significant. The Democrats OTOH want to govern so chaos does not work in their favour.

Norman Alexander · 19th January 2023, 05:47 PM

They only have to wait until there are more Dem members in the House than GOP. Then it is a simple majority, no GOP involvement required.

And to really hurt them, they should make EmptyG speaker. Then she would be tied up having to sit in the big chair all day every day. And ******* up the House operations even further. Chaos^2

Stacyhs · 19th January 2023, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

They only have to wait until there are more Dem members in the House than GOP. Then it is a simple majority, no GOP involvement required.

And to really hurt them, they should make EmptyG speaker. Then she would be tied up having to sit in the big chair all day every day. And ******* up the House operations even further. Chaos^2

That can't happen until the next election in 2024. If the Dems take back the House, then the next Speaker will be a Dem...most probably Jeffries.

Stacyhs · 19th January 2023, 05:57 PM

Donnie wants back on FB and Instagram. I guess his Truth Social (if ever there was a misnomer!) isn't working out too well.

Norman Alexander · 19th January 2023, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

That can't happen until the next election in 2024. If the Dems take back the House, then the next Speaker will be a Dem...most probably Jeffries.

No, I meant when GOP members go flitting off on "fact finding tours" or are otherwise absent from the House. So the numbers present at one time are what count, not how many got elected. It pays to notice attendance... I believe The Turtle has pulled this stunt a few times.

Stacyhs · 19th January 2023, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

No, I meant when GOP members go flitting off on "fact finding tours" or are otherwise absent from the House. So the numbers present at one time are what count, not how many got elected. It pays to notice attendance... I believe The Turtle has pulled this stunt a few times.

Oh, I see. I like the way your mind works.

But not MTG...elect Santos!

Norman Alexander · 19th January 2023, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

Oh, I see. I like the way your mind works.

But not MTG...elect Santos!

No, he's closer to sane than she is. And has already been Speaker...twice.

Stacyhs · 19th January 2023, 06:26 PM

Is Santos a pathological liar or is he a compulsive liar?

https://www.medicinenet.com/patholog...ar/article.htm

Skeptic Ginger · 19th January 2023, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

No, he's closer to sane than she is. And has already been Speaker...twice.

mgidm86 · 20th January 2023, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by The Don

I applaud your optimism, but sadly I don't share it.

As a reward for finally tipping McCarthy over the line and secure the Speakership the ultra-right have been given plum spots on key committees. IMO instead of the ultra-right fading, they are consolidating their position. They are the key votes for any legislation the Republicans may want to try to pass (not that they are that interested in governing) and as such hold the whip hand. Any time they are less than happy, they'll call for McCarthy's removal.

FFS, Marjorie Taylor Greene is on the Homeland Security committee.

Who are these mythical creatures ?

As the Republicans become more and more right wing, they become more and more dependent on the Trump Base and have to pander to them more.

That the people in power in Congress are appointing these nitwits means nothing. What else would they do, they are in power.

However, they barely won that power. The current election trend is going against the right wingers. I said it would take a long time but the days of these attitudes being anywhere near a majority are numbered.

This is the most extreme I have ever seen them and that can't last. I called it their loooong dying gasp.

But it was just a prediction. I think long term the MAGA righties are going away. There is no place for them in the modern world. The Republicans will recognize that if they want to remain relevant.

Norman Alexander · 21st January 2023, 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by mgidm86

That the people in power in Congress are appointing these nitwits means nothing. What else would they do, they are in power.

However, they barely won that power. The current election trend is going against the right wingers. I said it would take a long time but the days of these attitudes being anywhere near a majority are numbered.

This is the most extreme I have ever seen them and that can't last. I called it their loooong dying gasp.

But it was just a prediction. I think long term the MAGA righties are going away. There is no place for them in the modern world. The Republicans will recognize that if they want to remain relevant.

No they won't.

They are simply too dumb or intent on retaining their last fingernail-hold on power, no matter the cost. They should have seen the writing on the wall when Trump came down that escalator in 2015, and simply booted him from even being considered a candidate. Everyone else but them knew he was not even funny enough to be a half-decent joke let alone a serious contender. The GOP could have won handsomely with a half-decent candidate who was not Trump, even against Hillary.

Aridas · 21st January 2023, 12:58 PM

This whole situation probably counts for this thread -

Texas Republicans in turmoil as party launches attack ad aimed at GOP House speaker

Quote:

A civil war has broken out among Republicans in Texas after the state party paid for an attack ad aimed at the House speaker -- who is also a Republican.

At issue is House Speaker Dade Phelan's (R) refusal to kick Democrats out of key committee chairmanships as he also blocked a rules package from far-right members from being voted upon.

As WFAA is reporting, the Texas Republican Party is attempting to turn up the heat on Phelan, running an ad that asks conservative voters to "Tell him to be a Republican."

Not the most directly indicative, of course, but the efforts to continue the trend in Texas towards permanent one-party rule regardless of the actual will of the people are worthy of concern.

Norman Alexander · 21st January 2023, 04:12 PM

Do they allow Texas congress people to carry guns in the State House, by any chance?

Stacyhs · 21st January 2023, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Do they allow Texas congress people to carry guns in the State House, by any chance?

Yes. Crazy, huh? Well...crazy for normal people. This is Texas, though.

Quote:

Texas is one of at least eight states with virtually no restrictions on guns in its capitol building, according to the Michigan Advance, a nonprofit news site tracking statehouse security rules nationwide. Texans with handgun licenses can carry firearms into the Capitol openly or concealed and bypass the building’s metal detectors for entry within seconds. Licensed state lawmakers can bring their guns on the chamber floors, and some have been known to keep firearms in their desks. The Texas Capitol “is probably one of the most well-armed buildings in the state,” one then-state lawmaker told The New York Times in 2013.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01...es%20in%202013.

Steve · 21st January 2023, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Do they allow Texas congress people to carry guns in the State House, by any chance?

In Texas I would expect that to be a requirement. Along with the string ties, stetsons and chaps. Horse ownership optional.

Norman Alexander · 22nd January 2023, 01:22 AM

Bets on Phelan getting shot at in the House??

mgidm86 · 24th January 2023, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

No they won't.

They are simply too dumb or intent on retaining their last fingernail-hold on power, no matter the cost. They should have seen the writing on the wall when Trump came down that escalator in 2015, and simply booted him from even being considered a candidate. Everyone else but them knew he was not even funny enough to be a half-decent joke let alone a serious contender. The GOP could have won handsomely with a half-decent candidate who was not Trump, even against Hillary.

A lot has changed since then. And I said "if they want to remain relevant" and I also previously said this is long term. The party is in chaos and is practically nonfunctional even when in full power. And they are only getting worse. They barely won the house and this is why.

The things they are fighting for are not wanted by a large majority of people. They don't have any kind of reality backing up their BS. It's not working for them.

Stacyhs · 25th January 2023, 04:43 PM

Oh, great.....

Donnie is going to have his FB and Instagram accounts restored.

Quote:

Trump’s accounts will be reinstated “in the coming weeks” and come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses,” Nick Clegg, president, global affairs at Meta, said in a statement. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram.

Those guardrails will include "heightened penalties for repeat offenses — penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol. In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation," Clegg said on the company's website.

Trump celebrated the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social.

"FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since 'deplatforming' your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account. Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!" he wrote.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...orms-rcna67524

Segnosaur · 25th January 2023, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

Oh, great.....

Donnie is going to have his FB and Instagram accounts restored.

Yes, facebook is going to have 'guardrails' to prevent abuse.

My prediction: Trump will post stuff on facebook which is racist or otherwise problematic. Facebook will refuse to suspend his account, either because "this post is different", "It is politically relevant", or "we don't comment on internal moderation issues". (Or some combination of the above).

Stacyhs · 25th January 2023, 04:56 PM

Trump is even crazier now than when he was suspended. But I suspect you're right.

dudalb · 25th January 2023, 05:02 PM

Not sure it makes much difference really.

Segnosaur · 25th January 2023, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by dudalb

Not sure it makes much difference really.

Well the video referenced above suggested the main value to Trump is its value in raising donations (from small money donors).

So does it make a difference? Without those donors Trump has less to fund his campaign. Of course if he did manage to raise money through Facebook he might earn enough to knock out other Republican contenders but might still lose in a general election.

Sent from my moto e using Tapatalk

Gulliver Foyle · 26th January 2023, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by dudalb

Not sure it makes much difference really.

It'll make two differences, facebook will lose advertisers at a faster rate and Zuckerberg's "wealth" will drop a few billion.

Norman Alexander · 26th January 2023, 01:02 AM

I wonder if Donny remembers that, unlike Trothe Sential which is his own platform and heavily censored, everything he says on Facebook is open to public comment and ridicule. So I'm betting he will get the stuffing spammed out of EVERYTHING he says, in the immediate future. Then he will have a little tantrum, claim he is being picked on by the socialist left at FB, and storm off in a huff.

It will be delicious!

Aridas · 26th January 2023, 10:24 PM

I suppose that this goes here in a somewhat more expansive way - further work to control the media.

Both some past -

Quote:

At its height Air America was heard across most of the country. The network was on 54 major stations across the nation — most throwing signals into multiple states — but all were leased from Clear Channel, then the largest network of radio stations in America. We had listeners in the millions, got a lot of press, and helped elect Barack Obama as the nation’s first Black president in 2008.

Mitt Romney’s company, however, acquired Clear Channel and, presumably looking toward the 2012 Romney/Obama contest, began replacing Air America programming with sports and rightwing talk. Without “big sticks” carrying their programming, both advertising and investor revenue dried up and Air America was bankrupt by January 2010.

And future -

Quote:

Natalie Allison is reporting for Politico that a new Spanish-language radio network is both going nationwide and expanding into television, expecting to be the Spanish version of Fox News in time for the 2024 election.

“The network has hired more than 80 Latino journalists and producers,” Allison wrote, “are expanding their radio presence to television, and by the end of the year will have studios in Miami, Las Vegas and D.C. with reporters covering the White House, Congress and embedding in 2024 presidential campaigns. This month, Americano is launching a $20 million marketing campaign to draw in new viewers.

Consider the impact this could have based on these numbers from Neeva AI:

“New Mexico has the highest Hispanic population as a percentage of the total population at 49.26%, followed by Texas with 39.75% and California with 39.42%. Arizona has a Hispanic population of 31.5%, Nevada 28.5%, Florida 25.8%, Colorado 21.7%, New Jersey 20.4%, and New York 19.1%. Illinois has a Hispanic population of 17.2%.”

Gulliver Foyle · 26th January 2023, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

I wonder if Donny remembers that, unlike Trothe Sential which is his own platform and heavily censored, everything he says on Facebook is open to public comment and ridicule. So I'm betting he will get the stuffing spammed out of EVERYTHING he says, in the immediate future. Then he will have a little tantrum, claim he is being picked on by the socialist left at FB, and storm off in a huff.

It will be delicious!

To expand on my previous post, reinstating Trump is a desperation move on the part of facebook. They are loosing eyeballs (which were never as high as they let on, bot are endemic on the site) hand over fist, and advertisers havebegun to realise that facebook and the likes give bad returns. Add in that the EU are strangling their data harvesting methods by enforcing data protection law and you've got a company very worried for its future.

Norman Alexander · 27th January 2023, 02:21 AM

Originally Posted by Gulliver Foyle

To expand on my previous post, reinstating Trump is a desperation move on the part of facebook. They are loosing eyeballs (which were never as high as they let on, bot are endemic on the site) hand over fist, and advertisers havebegun to realise that facebook and the likes give bad returns. Add in that the EU are strangling their data harvesting methods by enforcing data protection law and you've got a company very worried for its future.

That is all true. But Donny won't give a single solitary flying fig. The moment he gets a hurricane of adverse comments to whatever he says, he will storm off. Personally, I intend to add to that deluge.

Crossbow · 28th January 2023, 02:02 PM

In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies, now the former President is claiming that if becomes the President again, then he will build some sort of nuclear weapon force field that will protect the entire nation and that he will end the Ukraine War within 24 hours of getting back into power.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-said-bu...115330414.html

Trump said he would build an 'impenetrable dome' over the US as he warned of a possible World War III

...

Former President Donald Trump said he would build an "impenetrable dome" over the US if re-elected as president, as he warned of the possible "catastrophe" of World War III.

"If you take a look right now, the 'nuclear' word is being mentioned all the time. This is a word you're not allowed to use. It was never used during the Trump administration," Trump said in a video released Friday.

...

Trump's comments about a possible world war come a day after he posted a message on Truth Social claiming he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours.

Trump has frequently claimed that the conflict would not have taken place if he was president, despite the fact that he withheld military aid from Kyiv, which played a role in his 2019 impeachment.

...

Stacyhs · 28th January 2023, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Crossbow

In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies, now the former President is claiming that if becomes the President again, then he will build some sort of nuclear weapon force field that will protect the entire nation and that he will end the Ukraine War within 24 hours of getting back into power.

That's not exactly what he said. It's not 'some sort of force field' but an air defense system that intercepts and destroys incoming rockets, etc. The Iron Dome is a metaphor.
But, yeah, he was full of his usual ************.

I can't stand his pouty, tiny mouth. It looked especially weird in that video.

Norman Alexander · 29th January 2023, 04:51 AM

Originally Posted by Crossbow

In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies...

Indeed. SO boring and predictable.

Quote:

Trump's comments about a possible world war come a day after he posted a message on Truth Social claiming he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours.

Trump has frequently claimed that the conflict would not have taken place if he was president, despite the fact that he withheld military aid from Kyiv, which played a role in his 2019 impeachment.

Oh, that's easy. He would have handed Ukraine over to Putin, lock stock and barrel, for two rubles plus exclusive rights to put his name on the latest Sparrow Hills skyscraper.

Stacyhs · 29th January 2023, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Indeed. SO boring and predictable.

Oh, that's easy. He would have handed Ukraine over to Putin, lock stock and barrel, for two rubles plus exclusive rights to put his name on the latest Sparrow Hills skyscraper.

Trump would hand over his children for the rights to put his name on anything.

Norman Alexander · 29th January 2023, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

Trump would hand over his children for the rights to put his name on anything.

Like no-one has ever seen before.

Aridas · 31st January 2023, 12:38 AM

Ugh. This fairly certainly fits here. As in, Nazi homeschooling becoming a real thing because of the right-wing war on education is a pretty blatant bit of fascist creep.

Gulliver Foyle · 1st February 2023, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Crossbow

In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies, now the former President is claiming that if becomes the President again, then he will build some sort of nuclear weapon force field that will protect the entire nation and that he will end the Ukraine War within 24 hours of getting back into power.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-said-bu...115330414.html

Trump said he would build an 'impenetrable dome' over the US as he warned of a possible World War III

...

Former President Donald Trump said he would build an "impenetrable dome" over the US if re-elected as president, as he warned of the possible "catastrophe" of World War III.

"If you take a look right now, the 'nuclear' word is being mentioned all the time. This is a word you're not allowed to use. It was never used during the Trump administration," Trump said in a video released Friday.

...

Trump's comments about a possible world war come a day after he posted a message on Truth Social claiming he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours.

Trump has frequently claimed that the conflict would not have taken place if he was president, despite the fact that he withheld military aid from Kyiv, which played a role in his 2019 impeachment.

...

On the second one, that's easy. He's just planning on declaring war on Ukraine alongside his handler Putain.

Mike! · 2nd February 2023, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by Gulliver Foyle

On the second one, that's easy. He's just planning on declaring war on Ukraine alongside his handler Putain.

Frighteningly enough, you are likely correct.

Stacyhs · 2nd February 2023, 07:44 PM

Jordan Klepper's interview of Trump supporters at Trump's recent mini-rally. Just listening to the stupidity that these morons spew is so disheartening. It's exactly why I think so many of them are just morons.

Quote:

One pair of stunning exchanges featured supporters who believe Trump is still the president:

TRUMP FAN 1: Donald Trump is president right now.

JORDAN KLEPPER: He’s currently the president.

TRUMP FAN 1: Absolutely.

TRUMP FAN 2: He is still president. There’s a lot of things that this Biden person does not have, like the presidential seal and things like that that are pretty obvious.

JORDAN KLEPPER: Biden doesn’t have the presidential seal. When he speaks, there’s a presidential seal in front of him.

TRUMP FAN 2: It’s not real.

For the full Stupid Experience....and it's a doozy:

YouTube Video This video is not hosted by the ISF. The ISF can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website.

I AGREE

Tero · 5th February 2023, 06:19 AM

I was in the book store and looked at "current affairs" section. Politics is there as well as social commentary. I leafed through a Tucker Carlson book but could not bring myself to spend money even on a used copy I might find on line. I can't really listen to him, so this was a compromise to leaf through his book to see what his complaints were about the elitism of the left/the educated.

After some searches I found a political history book by an academic slightly on the conservative side. He describes populist movements on the left and then in the Reagan to Trump era. His conclusion is that the left deserved what they got for going too far. The current "protest" is a weird trumpian crowd. They hold up signs printed for the Trump rally because they are not really eloquent of smart enough to put their views onto a home made poster.

We on the left now claim the trumpsters went too far.

So this book is on order. I am going to visit our college campus when it gets warmer to see who is in the political science department. My son got a degree there abut 2010 or so. I have put together some senior classes, but my interests so far have been much older history, and not even there any of the US history. We have people that do that better than I.

In Defense of Populism: Protest and American Democracy Hardcover – November 27, 2020
by Donald T. Critchlow

Tero · 5th February 2023, 07:30 AM

Many people just don't want politics in everyday life. I'm quite tolerant to having people i don't support vent their grievances. It's much more enlightening than answering opinion surveys. You don't really get to say anything in them. The "this country is going in the wrong direction" polls tell me nothing at all. Neither does presidential approval. Mostly it reflects the very short term news cycle. Biden shoots down balloon. Oh yeah, great. Poll goes up 2 points.

Solitaire · 5th February 2023, 08:13 AM

Intriguing.

19th January 2023, 06:05 AM	#961
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by Stacyhs As long as Kevin keeps dancing to the extremists' tune, they'll be happy. The rest of the GOP House members will do as they're told. Like good Republicans do. In my scenario, Kev can dance the fandango nude with a banana skirt to amuse the MAGots, because it won't matter a whit. He gets no say in getting launched or not once the process is initiated.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

19th January 2023, 05:47 PM	#963
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	They only have to wait until there are more Dem members in the House than GOP. Then it is a simple majority, no GOP involvement required. And to really hurt them, they should make EmptyG speaker. Then she would be tied up having to sit in the big chair all day every day. And ******* up the House operations even further. Chaos^2
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

19th January 2023, 06:01 PM	#966
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by Stacyhs That can't happen until the next election in 2024. If the Dems take back the House, then the next Speaker will be a Dem...most probably Jeffries. No, I meant when GOP members go flitting off on "fact finding tours" or are otherwise absent from the House. So the numbers present at one time are what count, not how many got elected. It pays to notice attendance... I believe The Turtle has pulled this stunt a few times.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

19th January 2023, 06:04 PM	#967
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander No, I meant when GOP members go flitting off on "fact finding tours" or are otherwise absent from the House. So the numbers present at one time are what count, not how many got elected. It pays to notice attendance... I believe The Turtle has pulled this stunt a few times. Oh, I see. I like the way your mind works. But not MTG...elect Santos!
	Last edited by Stacyhs; 19th January 2023 at 06:05 PM.

19th January 2023, 06:13 PM	#968
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by Stacyhs Oh, I see. I like the way your mind works. But not MTG...elect Santos! No, he's closer to sane than she is. And has already been Speaker...twice.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

19th January 2023, 07:52 AM	#962
The Don Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sir Fynwy Posts: 36,380	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander The Dems have the whip hand, and there are far more of them than The Base. The concessions Kev made mean the Dems can put him in the catapult too. The Rules are not limited to The Base. And if the Dems do that, it only takes one or two rogue non-Base to vote with them have a majority to launch him, pick a new speaker of their choice, AND change the Rules to stop a reverse. Then they can quite possibly get the numpties off committees. It's a nice fantasy, but it's just that - a fantasy. If the Democrats bring forward a vote then, as usual, the Republicans will meekly fall in line and vote in favour of McCarthy so as to hand the Democrats a loss. In the unlikely event that they do succeed in deposing McCarthy then there's no chance of a Democrat becoming speaker because a GOP voting for a Democrat will be primaried at the next elections in less than two years. Challenging the speaker works for the GOP because they're not interested in governing, just in stopping the Democrats from doing anything significant. The Democrats OTOH want to govern so chaos does not work in their favour.

19th January 2023, 05:52 PM	#964
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander They only have to wait until there are more Dem members in the House than GOP. Then it is a simple majority, no GOP involvement required. And to really hurt them, they should make EmptyG speaker. Then she would be tied up having to sit in the big chair all day every day. And ******* up the House operations even further. Chaos^2 That can't happen until the next election in 2024. If the Dems take back the House, then the next Speaker will be a Dem...most probably Jeffries.

19th January 2023, 05:57 PM	#965
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Donnie wants back on FB and Instagram. I guess his Truth Social (if ever there was a misnomer!) isn't working out too well.

19th January 2023, 06:26 PM	#969
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Is Santos a pathological liar or is he a compulsive liar? https://www.medicinenet.com/patholog...ar/article.htm

19th January 2023, 07:27 PM	#970
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 93,401	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander No, he's closer to sane than she is. And has already been Speaker...twice.

20th January 2023, 09:19 PM	#971
mgidm86 Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 8,624	Originally Posted by The Don I applaud your optimism, but sadly I don't share it. As a reward for finally tipping McCarthy over the line and secure the Speakership the ultra-right have been given plum spots on key committees. IMO instead of the ultra-right fading, they are consolidating their position. They are the key votes for any legislation the Republicans may want to try to pass (not that they are that interested in governing) and as such hold the whip hand. Any time they are less than happy, they'll call for McCarthy's removal. FFS, Marjorie Taylor Greene is on the Homeland Security committee. Who are these mythical creatures ? As the Republicans become more and more right wing, they become more and more dependent on the Trump Base and have to pander to them more. That the people in power in Congress are appointing these nitwits means nothing. What else would they do, they are in power. However, they barely won that power. The current election trend is going against the right wingers. I said it would take a long time but the days of these attitudes being anywhere near a majority are numbered. This is the most extreme I have ever seen them and that can't last. I called it their loooong dying gasp. But it was just a prediction. I think long term the MAGA righties are going away. There is no place for them in the modern world. The Republicans will recognize that if they want to remain relevant.
mgidm86 Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 8,624

21st January 2023, 03:24 AM	#972
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by mgidm86 That the people in power in Congress are appointing these nitwits means nothing. What else would they do, they are in power. However, they barely won that power. The current election trend is going against the right wingers. I said it would take a long time but the days of these attitudes being anywhere near a majority are numbered. This is the most extreme I have ever seen them and that can't last. I called it their loooong dying gasp. But it was just a prediction. I think long term the MAGA righties are going away. There is no place for them in the modern world. The Republicans will recognize that if they want to remain relevant. No they won't. They are simply too dumb or intent on retaining their last fingernail-hold on power, no matter the cost. They should have seen the writing on the wall when Trump came down that escalator in 2015, and simply booted him from even being considered a candidate. Everyone else but them knew he was not even funny enough to be a half-decent joke let alone a serious contender. The GOP could have won handsomely with a half-decent candidate who was not Trump, even against Hillary.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

21st January 2023, 12:58 PM	#973
Aridas Crazy Little Green Dragon Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: East Coast, US Posts: 9,772	This whole situation probably counts for this thread - Texas Republicans in turmoil as party launches attack ad aimed at GOP House speaker Quote: A civil war has broken out among Republicans in Texas after the state party paid for an attack ad aimed at the House speaker -- who is also a Republican. At issue is House Speaker Dade Phelan's (R) refusal to kick Democrats out of key committee chairmanships as he also blocked a rules package from far-right members from being voted upon. As WFAA is reporting, the Texas Republican Party is attempting to turn up the heat on Phelan, running an ad that asks conservative voters to "Tell him to be a Republican." Not the most directly indicative, of course, but the efforts to continue the trend in Texas towards permanent one-party rule regardless of the actual will of the people are worthy of concern.
	__________________ So sayeth the crazy little dragon. Last edited by Aridas; 21st January 2023 at 01:02 PM.

21st January 2023, 04:12 PM	#974
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Do they allow Texas congress people to carry guns in the State House, by any chance?
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

21st January 2023, 04:16 PM	#975
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander Do they allow Texas congress people to carry guns in the State House, by any chance? Yes. Crazy, huh? Well...crazy for normal people. This is Texas, though. Quote: Texas is one of at least eight states with virtually no restrictions on guns in its capitol building, according to the Michigan Advance, a nonprofit news site tracking statehouse security rules nationwide. Texans with handgun licenses can carry firearms into the Capitol openly or concealed and bypass the building’s metal detectors for entry within seconds. Licensed state lawmakers can bring their guns on the chamber floors, and some have been known to keep firearms in their desks. The Texas Capitol “is probably one of the most well-armed buildings in the state,” one then-state lawmaker told The New York Times in 2013. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01...es%20in%202013.

21st January 2023, 04:18 PM	#976
Steve Penultimate Amazing Join Date: May 2005 Location: Sydney Nova Scotia Posts: 12,194	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander Do they allow Texas congress people to carry guns in the State House, by any chance? In Texas I would expect that to be a requirement. Along with the string ties, stetsons and chaps. Horse ownership optional.
	__________________ Caption from and old New Yorker cartoon - Why am I shouting? Because I'm wrong!"

22nd January 2023, 01:22 AM	#977
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Bets on Phelan getting shot at in the House??
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

24th January 2023, 07:35 PM	#978
mgidm86 Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 8,624	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander No they won't. They are simply too dumb or intent on retaining their last fingernail-hold on power, no matter the cost. They should have seen the writing on the wall when Trump came down that escalator in 2015, and simply booted him from even being considered a candidate. Everyone else but them knew he was not even funny enough to be a half-decent joke let alone a serious contender. The GOP could have won handsomely with a half-decent candidate who was not Trump, even against Hillary. A lot has changed since then. And I said "if they want to remain relevant" and I also previously said this is long term. The party is in chaos and is practically nonfunctional even when in full power. And they are only getting worse. They barely won the house and this is why. The things they are fighting for are not wanted by a large majority of people. They don't have any kind of reality backing up their BS. It's not working for them.
mgidm86 Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 8,624

25th January 2023, 04:43 PM	#979
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Oh, great..... Donnie is going to have his FB and Instagram accounts restored. Quote: Trump’s accounts will be reinstated “in the coming weeks” and come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses,” Nick Clegg, president, global affairs at Meta, said in a statement. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram. Those guardrails will include "heightened penalties for repeat offenses — penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol. In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation," Clegg said on the company's website. Trump celebrated the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social. "FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since 'deplatforming' your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account. Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!" he wrote. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...orms-rcna67524
	Last edited by Stacyhs; 25th January 2023 at 04:46 PM.

25th January 2023, 04:49 PM	#980
Segnosaur Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 19,683	Originally Posted by Stacyhs Oh, great..... Donnie is going to have his FB and Instagram accounts restored. Yes, facebook is going to have 'guardrails' to prevent abuse. My prediction: Trump will post stuff on facebook which is racist or otherwise problematic. Facebook will refuse to suspend his account, either because "this post is different", "It is politically relevant", or "we don't comment on internal moderation issues". (Or some combination of the above).
	__________________ Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppins Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot

25th January 2023, 04:56 PM	#981
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Trump is even crazier now than when he was suspended. But I suspect you're right.

25th January 2023, 05:02 PM	#982
dudalb Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 57,778	Not sure it makes much difference really.
	__________________ Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein.

25th January 2023, 06:28 PM	#983
Segnosaur Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 19,683	Originally Posted by dudalb Not sure it makes much difference really. Well the video referenced above suggested the main value to Trump is its value in raising donations (from small money donors). So does it make a difference? Without those donors Trump has less to fund his campaign. Of course if he did manage to raise money through Facebook he might earn enough to knock out other Republican contenders but might still lose in a general election. Sent from my moto e using Tapatalk
	__________________ Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppins Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot

26th January 2023, 12:24 AM	#984
Gulliver Foyle Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Cork baaaiii Posts: 1,303	Originally Posted by dudalb Not sure it makes much difference really. It'll make two differences, facebook will lose advertisers at a faster rate and Zuckerberg's "wealth" will drop a few billion.

26th January 2023, 01:02 AM	#985
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	I wonder if Donny remembers that, unlike Trothe Sential which is his own platform and heavily censored, everything he says on Facebook is open to public comment and ridicule. So I'm betting he will get the stuffing spammed out of EVERYTHING he says, in the immediate future. Then he will have a little tantrum, claim he is being picked on by the socialist left at FB, and storm off in a huff. It will be delicious!
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

26th January 2023, 10:24 PM	#986
Aridas Crazy Little Green Dragon Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: East Coast, US Posts: 9,772	I suppose that this goes here in a somewhat more expansive way - further work to control the media. Both some past - Quote: At its height Air America was heard across most of the country. The network was on 54 major stations across the nation — most throwing signals into multiple states — but all were leased from Clear Channel, then the largest network of radio stations in America. We had listeners in the millions, got a lot of press, and helped elect Barack Obama as the nation’s first Black president in 2008. Mitt Romney’s company, however, acquired Clear Channel and, presumably looking toward the 2012 Romney/Obama contest, began replacing Air America programming with sports and rightwing talk. Without “big sticks” carrying their programming, both advertising and investor revenue dried up and Air America was bankrupt by January 2010. And future - Quote: Natalie Allison is reporting for Politico that a new Spanish-language radio network is both going nationwide and expanding into television, expecting to be the Spanish version of Fox News in time for the 2024 election. “The network has hired more than 80 Latino journalists and producers,” Allison wrote, “are expanding their radio presence to television, and by the end of the year will have studios in Miami, Las Vegas and D.C. with reporters covering the White House, Congress and embedding in 2024 presidential campaigns. This month, Americano is launching a $20 million marketing campaign to draw in new viewers. Consider the impact this could have based on these numbers from Neeva AI: “New Mexico has the highest Hispanic population as a percentage of the total population at 49.26%, followed by Texas with 39.75% and California with 39.42%. Arizona has a Hispanic population of 31.5%, Nevada 28.5%, Florida 25.8%, Colorado 21.7%, New Jersey 20.4%, and New York 19.1%. Illinois has a Hispanic population of 17.2%.”
	__________________ So sayeth the crazy little dragon.

26th January 2023, 11:00 PM	#987
Gulliver Foyle Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Cork baaaiii Posts: 1,303	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander I wonder if Donny remembers that, unlike Trothe Sential which is his own platform and heavily censored, everything he says on Facebook is open to public comment and ridicule. So I'm betting he will get the stuffing spammed out of EVERYTHING he says, in the immediate future. Then he will have a little tantrum, claim he is being picked on by the socialist left at FB, and storm off in a huff. It will be delicious! To expand on my previous post, reinstating Trump is a desperation move on the part of facebook. They are loosing eyeballs (which were never as high as they let on, bot are endemic on the site) hand over fist, and advertisers havebegun to realise that facebook and the likes give bad returns. Add in that the EU are strangling their data harvesting methods by enforcing data protection law and you've got a company very worried for its future.

27th January 2023, 02:21 AM	#988
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by Gulliver Foyle To expand on my previous post, reinstating Trump is a desperation move on the part of facebook. They are loosing eyeballs (which were never as high as they let on, bot are endemic on the site) hand over fist, and advertisers havebegun to realise that facebook and the likes give bad returns. Add in that the EU are strangling their data harvesting methods by enforcing data protection law and you've got a company very worried for its future. That is all true. But Donny won't give a single solitary flying fig. The moment he gets a hurricane of adverse comments to whatever he says, he will storm off. Personally, I intend to add to that deluge.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

28th January 2023, 02:02 PM	#989
Crossbow Seeking Honesty and Sanity Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 14,419	In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies, now the former President is claiming that if becomes the President again, then he will build some sort of nuclear weapon force field that will protect the entire nation and that he will end the Ukraine War within 24 hours of getting back into power. https://news.yahoo.com/trump-said-bu...115330414.html Trump said he would build an 'impenetrable dome' over the US as he warned of a possible World War III ... Former President Donald Trump said he would build an "impenetrable dome" over the US if re-elected as president, as he warned of the possible "catastrophe" of World War III. "If you take a look right now, the 'nuclear' word is being mentioned all the time. This is a word you're not allowed to use. It was never used during the Trump administration," Trump said in a video released Friday. ... Trump's comments about a possible world war come a day after he posted a message on Truth Social claiming he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours. Trump has frequently claimed that the conflict would not have taken place if he was president, despite the fact that he withheld military aid from Kyiv, which played a role in his 2019 impeachment. ...
	__________________ On 29JUL2022, 'Gaetan' said: "We all know here that the moderators are for the use of firearms and they don't mind if some people recieve a bullet in their head." A man's best friend is his dogma.

28th January 2023, 02:19 PM	#990
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Originally Posted by Crossbow In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies, now the former President is claiming that if becomes the President again, then he will build some sort of nuclear weapon force field that will protect the entire nation and that he will end the Ukraine War within 24 hours of getting back into power. That's not exactly what he said. It's not 'some sort of force field' but an air defense system that intercepts and destroys incoming rockets, etc. The Iron Dome is a metaphor. But, yeah, he was full of his usual ************. I can't stand his pouty, tiny mouth. It looked especially weird in that video.

29th January 2023, 04:51 AM	#991
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by Crossbow In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies... Indeed. SO boring and predictable. Quote: Trump's comments about a possible world war come a day after he posted a message on Truth Social claiming he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours. Trump has frequently claimed that the conflict would not have taken place if he was president, despite the fact that he withheld military aid from Kyiv, which played a role in his 2019 impeachment. Oh, that's easy. He would have handed Ukraine over to Putin, lock stock and barrel, for two rubles plus exclusive rights to put his name on the latest Sparrow Hills skyscraper.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015} Last edited by Norman Alexander; 29th January 2023 at 04:52 AM.

29th January 2023, 01:48 PM	#992
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 29,390	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander Indeed. SO boring and predictable. Oh, that's easy. He would have handed Ukraine over to Putin, lock stock and barrel, for two rubles plus exclusive rights to put his name on the latest Sparrow Hills skyscraper. Trump would hand over his children for the rights to put his name on anything.

29th January 2023, 09:03 PM	#993
Norman Alexander Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Dharug & Gundungurra Posts: 14,236	Originally Posted by Stacyhs Trump would hand over his children for the rights to put his name on anything. Like no-one has ever seen before.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

31st January 2023, 12:38 AM	#994
Aridas Crazy Little Green Dragon Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: East Coast, US Posts: 9,772	Ugh. This fairly certainly fits here. As in, Nazi homeschooling becoming a real thing because of the right-wing war on education is a pretty blatant bit of fascist creep.
	__________________ So sayeth the crazy little dragon.

1st February 2023, 11:27 PM	#995
Gulliver Foyle Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Cork baaaiii Posts: 1,303	Originally Posted by Crossbow In yet another dazzling, and yet completely unsurprising, pack of Donald Trump lies, now the former President is claiming that if becomes the President again, then he will build some sort of nuclear weapon force field that will protect the entire nation and that he will end the Ukraine War within 24 hours of getting back into power. https://news.yahoo.com/trump-said-bu...115330414.html Trump said he would build an 'impenetrable dome' over the US as he warned of a possible World War III ... Former President Donald Trump said he would build an "impenetrable dome" over the US if re-elected as president, as he warned of the possible "catastrophe" of World War III. "If you take a look right now, the 'nuclear' word is being mentioned all the time. This is a word you're not allowed to use. It was never used during the Trump administration," Trump said in a video released Friday. ... Trump's comments about a possible world war come a day after he posted a message on Truth Social claiming he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours. Trump has frequently claimed that the conflict would not have taken place if he was president, despite the fact that he withheld military aid from Kyiv, which played a role in his 2019 impeachment. ... On the second one, that's easy. He's just planning on declaring war on Ukraine alongside his handler Putain.